


Undone, Unwound, Unbound

by LittleLinor



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: (no really this is so sweet it'll damage your teeth), Bondage, In-Universe triggering, M/M, Post-Canon, Rope Bondage, Safe Sane Fluffy And Consensual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 06:32:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17360807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLinor/pseuds/LittleLinor
Summary: Tying up your friends and tying up your partner are, it turns out,verydifferent.





	Undone, Unwound, Unbound

**Author's Note:**

> It had been much too long since I wrote some actual kink fluff tbh, so it was time to correct that. I missed writing dom POV tbh
> 
> Disclaimer: Despite being based on both research and experience, this fic is still very much FANTASY, with the shortcuts and occasional concessions to realism for the sake of narrative or emotional truth. Don't use it as a model for any real life activities. If this kind of thing tempts you, be like Chrono and do your research and learn from people who know what they're doing. Bondage might seem safer than stuff like impact or knife play, but there are some very potent risks associated with it. Don't take it lightly.
> 
> ANYWAY, with the serious stuff out of the way, enjoy the fluff.

Being faced with Ibuki on his knees like this, the first thing Chrono felt was an overwhelming urge to go _uuuh, are you sure about this?_  
It wasn't that he wasn't ready. He'd prepared thoroughly, researching everything he could and even dragging Kazuma and Kumi to a workshop with him to practice (he'd had to cook for them afterwards, but it had been worth it, not least because they switched around and he now had a better idea of what Ibuki would be facing), and he trusted Ibuki to communicate properly if he was uncomfortable, but part of him was scared of experiencing it for real. There was a huge difference between tying up your friends and worrying only about the technical aspect of it and about replying to their occasional bad jokes, and tying up the person you loved, especially when that person might have unexpected reactions to being restrained.  
He wanted to. He wanted to, _deeply_ , and maybe that was the problem. It would have been easier if he could have been as detached as he had been with his friends. But at the same time, doing it to Ibuki with anything other than full, absolute loving and intimate focus felt wrong on every level. He was forever in awe of his partner's courage and devotion, but that didn't mean he wasn't aware of how delicate the balance was, sometimes.  
And that was why he was hesitating. Part worry for Ibuki's comfort and part fear of showing that side of himself. But on the other hand, if he indulged in that kind of hesitation too much, it was Ibuki he put weight on. If he couldn't be confident, if he couldn't own up to what he was doing, then he shouldn't do it at all, rather than put the responsibility on the person putting himself in his power.  
He let his eyes trail over Ibuki's face. There was some tension there, yes, but to his surprise, no trace of apprehension. Instead, the only thing he could see in his eyes was overwhelming trust, and the quiet intensity that he'd started being able to identify as Ibuki's own brand of desire. Something withdrawn but warm that burned deep inside, a yearning to feel and experience and share that unfolded when they were together sometimes. He'd seen it bloom, over time, barely at first and then gradually more and more, until it seemed like all he needed to do was kiss or caress him with the right intent for Ibuki to open himself up like a flower in the sunlight, baring himself and surrendering himself to his attention like it was everything he was made for.  
It took his breath away. It made his heart _beat_. And he wanted nothing more than to coax those petals open, coax that surrender out of him and let him abandon himself in his hold.  
Now was no exception.  
Carefully, he took his first rope, and wound it around his hand, testing it, familiarising himself with it again.  
“… I'm keeping these scissors here,” he said quietly, lifting his shears then putting them back down, out of the way but close enough to grab. “If you don't feel okay, don't wait. Tell me _right away_. Okay?”  
“I will. But I'll be fine, really.”  
“Well it'll make _me_ feel safer,” he huffed a little, and Ibuki smiled.  
It was soft but bright and warm, and his heart melted a little. Again.  
Sometimes, he thought that smile was enough to make him fall in love all over again. If anyone had told him when he met the man that such a beautiful expression could grace his face, well, he would have…  
… probably only raised his eyebrows in disbelief, because he hadn't been very good at caring about anything yet, back then, barely waking up from years of denial and depression. But the point was that seeing it bloom, seeing that smile come more and more often, had been one of the most endearing and heartwarming and satisfying experiences of his life.  
It was worth how much it flustered him, really.  
“… okay,” he breathed. “Here goes nothing.”  
He kneeled closer, one knee sliding between Ibuki's own so he could bring their bodies flush against each other. Immediately, Ibuki's breath came faster; he was so sensitive to contact or his personal space being entered that it gave Chrono shivers. Something else he hadn't expected going in but that now settled into his stomach like protectiveness. Possessiveness. There was enough of a streak of it that sometimes he worried it would be too much. But every time he tried to check up on it, Ibuki had assured him that it was appreciated, and over time he'd just accepted it. As long as he didn't act inappropriately, it was probably fine.  
“Raise your arms for me?”  
Ibuki raised his arms. Bending and reaching behind him was intimately close: with his face in Ibuki's shoulder, his chest against his and his arms wrapped around to his back, he could hear, feel his breathing, precisely enough to notice the way it lightly trembled, feel his warmth, smell the light scent of his sweat that apprehension was bringing to his skin despite his earlier shower. If he hadn't fallen asleep to similar sensations a number of times, it would have been overwhelming. But he was familiar enough with them, with him, to take it all in as something intense and intimate but grounding; he took a second to breathe it all in, then focused his mind on his hands instead, on threading his rope through the loop he'd made before pulling back to pull it tight against his chest.  
Ibuki gasped a little, his eyes closed at first, then opening to stare back at him, already darkening. Chrono shot him a side, slightly shaky smile and bent closer again to secure his second line of rope, threading it like the first one.  
From the back, it might have been easier, and it was probably the proper way to do it. But for now, he didn't want to give up the visual connection. Once he was sure Ibuki was mentally comfortable in the hold of his ropes, he'd move around more. And if doing things this way made him slower, required more concentration, well he'd just have to deal with it. From the way Ibuki nuzzled into his hair as he worked, he probably didn't mind.  
Once his coils were snugly in place, he gently guided Ibuki's arms down and pulled the rope over his shoulder. This was the point where things started to really take shape, and a first test with a real feeling of restraint; as he worked the rope down, under some coils and around others, actually tightening the entire structure just with the way the rope twisted, he kept a careful eye on Ibuki's face, a careful ear on his breathing. It hitched slightly, and came faster, but it was still controlled, nothing like the attacks of panic and uncontrollable hyperventilating he'd witnessed a couple of times.  
_So far so good._  
He pulled the rope over his other shoulder and held it down, not yet fastening but instead just holding the position, leaning into him again, supporting him with his own weight.  
“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly.  
Ibuki exhaled, a little harsh but giddy rather than scared. Chrono smiled, and waited for his actual answer.  
“… you really want me to talk, huh?” Ibuki chuckled once he'd gotten his breathing more under control.  
“Yeah.” Chrono felt himself chuckle too, a little self-conscious. “Sorry, I… I really need it. For now at least.”  
“I'm not complaining.” He leaned his head sideways against Chrono's, and _oh_ , he'd needed something like that, actually. The physical reassurance was making him relax part of himself that he hadn't even noticed had tensed.  
He really needed to work on the whole self-awareness thing.  
“It has its own kind of appeal,” Ibuki continued, voice lightly teasing, and _fine_ , if he had energy to tease him, then he clearly was doing okay.  
“Okay. Okay. Don't move.”

Keeping the rope in his hand, he stood up, putting the whole movement in his thighs and feet to straighten in one smooth motion, then took the two steps to circle to Ibuki's back and dropped back down. Ibuki tensed a little, but a gentle rub to his back was enough to make him relax again. Thanking his past self for having the foresight to keep Ibuki's hair out of the way in a bun, he pulled his rope through his previous loops, strengthening his harness, then tied it off and, with great relief, wrapped his arms around Ibuki again, from behind this time.  
“… are _you_ okay?” Ibuki asked him, leaning his head back against his.  
“Mmm. It's just… intense.”  
All his training hadn't prepared him for how close it really would feel. Intent really was everything, he supposed.  
“… if it's any comfort, I'm feeling it very intensely myself.”  
Chrono laughed.  
“A little, yeah,” he said, happily leaning his head on his shoulder.  
_That_ was a kind of closeness that wasn't any different from usual, and feeling the superposition of its light-hearted warmth and fun with the ropes he could feel against his chest and under his hands made everything more real, but also more comfortable.  
Like it was slowly becoming a part of them, something they could really share. Slowly, his confidence started waking up again.  
“… so,” Ibuki said.  
“Yeah?”  
“Are you really leaving my hands free?”  
Chrono rolled his eyes and nibbled at his shoulder. Even through the light fabric of his tshirt, it made Ibuki's breath catch.  
“Don't be so impatient. This stuff takes time.”  
“I just didn't want you to stop after you started so well.”  
“This is more than bondage enough for a majority of people, you know that, right?” Chrono said, rolling his eyes again, but even as he said it, he disentangled himself from their embrace, keeping one hand on his shoulder as he reached for his second rope.  
At least, he wouldn't have bought that many for nothing.  
“Most people don't have such a good partner.”  
Thankfully, Chrono was behind him, and thus didn't have to hide the blush that made it to his face.  
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” he mumbled, fully aware that the right kind of flattery could actually get Ibuki very far.  
It wouldn't work half as well if he didn't know Ibuki meant it.  
“Here, give me your arms,” he said, recovering his composure. Obediently, Ibuki put his arms behind his back, and Chrono gently guided them to cross over his back, but when his forearms came parallel to the ground, he hesitated. “… is this pulling on your shoulders?”  
“Barely. Why?”  
“I… I wanted to go higher, but…”  
He trailed off, biting his lip. The position he'd had in mind would make him very vulnerable, but it would also put some strain on his arms, and both those things could be either very good or very bad.  
“… I'm flexible,” Ibuki pointed out. “It should be fine.”  
“… let me just try something.”  
He took hold of Ibuki's wrists, and very carefully crossed them and pulled them up his back, his arms no longer forming a horizontal line but more an X across his back.  
Ibuki's breath caught. Chrono was about to release him and go for the less strenuous variation when a breathy word reached his ears.  
“ _Please_.”  
For a second, his heart, his breath, his thoughts, everything was frozen in place. Caught on this single word, this single plea that had escaped his partner, _his Kouji_ , an expression of _want_ that he so rarely bared.  
And then everything came back, louder, blood roaring in his ears.  
His chest felt tight. Not with apprehension. Not even with arousal. Just with pure emotion, this overwhelming fondness that threatened to overtake him and make him useless.  
Slowly, he bent forward to kiss the tips of Ibuki's fingers where they waited half-curled against his back.  
“… okay.”  
He lowered Ibuki's wrists and got back to work again, wrapping the new rope around the higher part of his upper arms. Words of caution ran through his head again and again, and he stopped on every one of them, checking the tension of his rope, where the coils could and couldn't cross, how high he was on Ibuki's arm and whether he could still fit his fingers under the rope even as he began tightening. As he started twisting and looping the rope around to create the support for his forearms, the coils on Ibuki's upper arms tightened, making the skin bunch slightly around them. His breath caught. Pausing in his work a little, he kissed over the edge, where rope met skin, and was rewarded with a breathy little noise that could almost count as a moan.  
Part of him wanted to just keep kissing. But there would be time for that later. For now, he needed to secure this rope properly, so he wouldn't risk pulling on it or letting Ibuki's arms drop without warning. And besides, the more he tied, and the more Ibuki's body language shifted, his head curled forward without quite hanging low, baring his neck as a knight would for his liege's knighting sword. Without his hair to cover it, his nape and the very start of his shoulders where his shirt's loose collar didn't reach were exposed, and while it did make him want to touch, he wanted to continue even more. To guide him deeper into that state and watch his body shift and surrender and offer itself to his hold.  
He wanted to see him when he wasn't _trying_ , when he was simply allowing himself to _be_ , and to be loved, held, comforted. The same feeling he got, sometimes, when Ibuki let his impregnable walls fall as he edged into sleep, allowing himself to curl closer or hang on to Chrono's hand, to his arm around his waist.  
With one hand, he guided Ibuki's wrists back into position, keeping the rope's tension stable with his other one. Ibuki didn't need much guiding: a whisper and a little nudge, and he was already raising his arms back to their crossed position, and all Chrono had to do was angle them slightly to make sure the rope wouldn't press into the wrong part of his wrists. He wrapped the rope around his wrists, watching after each pass for any sign of pain on Ibuki's face that he himself might have ignored: this was honestly the part he was most worried about.  
Once his rope was secured, he ran his hands down Ibuki's arms, gently.  
“Hey,” he quietly said.  
“Mmm.”  
“How are you feeling?”  
“Fine…” He paused, caught himself. “… good. It's good.” A harsh breath. “ _Chrono._ ”  
Chrono chuckled a little, emotion choking him but thankfully leaving his head clear.  
“Here,” he said, taking hold of one of Ibuki's hands, “can you squeeze?” Ibuki did so; Chrono switched to the other one. “This one?”  
Ibuki squeezed.  
“They feel fine.”  
“No tingling or anything?”  
“No… my hands feel fine.”  
“Anything else?”  
“Hmm…” He pulled himself out of his more hazy state, and although Chrono knew he regretted having to a little, he was grateful for it. “I can feel the pull on my arms, but it's not painful. … maybe shift the rope on my right arm? I think something got caught uncomfortably.”  
Without waiting, Chrono moved to his arm, and slid his fingers under the rope, running along it to free Ibuki's muscles and allow them to rearrange themselves.  
“Better?”  
“Yes.”  
For good measure, he did the same on the other side. Checking on him in that way at least made him feel more stable, and although it was less of a rush, he enjoyed the feeling possibly even more. After all, taking care of him was a good part of why he was there. It was what made him feel good in his daily life, what made him stand tall to face whatever mornings could bring.  
Chrono Shindou was someone who took care of his own, and he embraced it with pride.  
“So how are you feeling now?” he asked once he was done, embracing Ibuki from behind and leaning his face against his upper arm.  
“… like I don't ever want to think again”, Ibuki admitted with a laughing breath.  
Chrono smiled against him.  
“I'm gonna have to untie you eventually.” And probably sooner rather than later, but at least the process was part of the experience, both the wrapping and the unwrapping.  
“Let me just pretend that you won't, then,” Ibuki answered, warm, and Chrono kissed his arm.  
“I can do that.” 

Wrapped around him, he took a deep breath.  
“… do you still want me to do the legs?”  
Ibuki had asked him for full restraint, had said that he wanted to not move at all, to be completely helpless, and while Chrono was fairly confident of his skill as long as he stuck to simple forms instead of trying to be creative, he knew that such a situation could suddenly become overwhelming without warning. He'd gotten enough warnings about it, and even Kazuma had despite his apparent detachment suddenly needed to be untied once, when a position had triggered a memory in him that he couldn't handle while unable to move.  
But on the other hand, Ibuki had spent years managing his own trauma and reactions, and he knew himself well. He'd demonstrated that enough in all the time they spent together.  
So, he decided, the decision should be up to him. If Chrono thought he was in over his head after all, well, he still had his shears.  
“Please,” Ibuki said. “… I'm feeling more stable than I thought.” He chuckled lightly. “Although maybe I should have expected it.”  
“Huh?”  
“You have a talent for making people feel safe.”  
Chrono smiled, feeling his cheeks heat up again, and started breaking his third rope out of its tight coil.  
“It's called 'worrying a lot',” he joked. “I'll do the thighs first, tell me if it's uncomfortable.”  
“Mmmm.”  
“… rise to your knees a couple of times first. Don't want your legs to fall asleep.”  
Ibuki shifted his weight and rose to his knees, Chrono supporting him just in case. He repeated the movement two more times, and rolled his legs sideways a little before sitting back down on them.  
“All good?” Chrono asked.  
“Yes. Go ahead.”  
Chrono once more moved around him, facing him again. If holding him from behind was intense, facing him now that he was flirting with the surface of his subspace was world-altering. Getting to watch his face, to meet his subdued and grateful and devoted eyes was worth every hour spent researching and practicing, every mistake he'd made while learning, every battle and fear that had led him there and led Ibuki to his arms in the first place. It made his heart race and his blood boil, and he understood how Ibuki felt when he said he never wanted to stop. Because right then, he wanted nothing more than to lock him down fully and hold him forever, tracing fingers along his skin and listening to his breathing.  
Rather than working with the rope right away, he took the time to rest his hands on Ibuki's thighs, stroking up and down gently with the upside of his thighs running between his thumbs and palms. Ibuki sighed, sagging a little forward towards him; he let go of one of his legs to support him, still caressing with the other.  
“I got you,” he murmured, and Ibuki hummed ever so lightly in response.  
Angling himself so he could support him if he lost balance or needed to rest his weight, Chrono reached for his now unwound rope and started working it around and under Ibuki's folded leg. Ibuki's flexibility worked in his favour: he could easily lift it when necessary, even in that position, although it was probably for the best that he was supporting him to reduce the strain.  
Once he'd safely held his leg in position, he moved to the other one, once more supporting him to slide the rope underneath more easily. Ibuki's eyes had closed, and he was quietly breathing into his shoulder and hair, slightly shaky but not unstable. Chrono kissed his ear and neck as he righted him again, the ties on both his legs finally secure.  
“We're getting there,” he murmured. “Just two more.”  
Ibuki nodded. His eyes opened, hazy, and stared, subdued, into Chrono's own, then fell to the side and into nothing as Chrono started working another rope into a spreader bar to keep his knees apart. As Chrono wrapped the length of the rope around the central part, he relaxed into the rope even more, knees spreading ever so slightly, body weight going lower. As if he wanted to stop holding himself up altogether and just rest into the hold.  
Chrono tied off his bar, and tilted his face up to caress it and check up on him.  
“Last one,” he said, and Ibuki blinked slowly and gave the tiniest of nods.  
Chrono's heart clenched. Biting his lip, he stroked at Ibuki's cheek with his thumb, then on impulse rose to his knees to press a quick and light kiss to his lips with a whispered “Love you.” Ibuki didn't answer, but his breathing deepened a little.  
He moved away a little, tentatively, making sure Ibuki wouldn't just collapse if he let go for real.  
_Gotta plan this better next time_ , he berated himself, but for now, it seemed to be all right, so he opted to continue, and just hurry up to get to a position where he could hold him properly again. And thus, rather than stand and get behind him, he just shuffled to his side, just a little behind, so he could properly access his ankles and back but wouldn't be too far once he wanted to move back. It wasn't ideal, but it would work.  
Carefully, he worked the rope around Ibuki's ankles. In itself, it wasn't tight or that restrictive compared to the rest of what he'd done, but it would soon have to support weight, and this was the part that had the most potential to be upsetting; he didn't want to mess it up and have to redo it. He probably wouldn't even _risk_ redoing it. It was crucial to get it right on the first try, and to keep it easy to undo at a moment's notice, and that meant taking as much time as he needed.  
_Under… around… knot… check the loop…_ The tie, when he pulled on the trailing rope, was secure, and the knot didn't slip. Lungs tight, he tucked the ends of the rope under the strongest lines of the harness on his chest, reached to wrap his other arm around the front of Ibuki's shoulders, and pulled him back and up, straightening his back from its forward slump. His head felt light, yet at the same time sharply clear, and he was aware of everything, the weight and warmth in his arms and Ibuki's chest heaving under his arm, the curve of his back, the rope handing slack between ankles and back—he took hold of the tips poking from under the harness and pulled them through, first getting rid of the slack and then, with a little stumble of his heart, _pulling_ , forcing Ibuki's back straight. Ibuki let out a noise, half-moan and half-whimper, and let the rope pull him, sitting up obediently. He was shaking lightly, the skin of his arms covered in goosebumps, but when Chrono rubbed at his shoulder a little and asked him if he was fine, he pushed through a little hum of confirmation.  
Chrono let go slowly. He remained upright, held in place by the ropes. Quickly but carefully, Chrono slid his rope through the loop on his ankles and finished off, tying it all together with a knot that he knew he could undo with a simple pull. All he'd have to do was hold him, and he could undo it with the other hand.

And just like that, he was done. He gulped, reviewing his work to avoid actually looking, actually thinking, actually letting the full reality of the man he loved tied up by his hands sink in. When he did actually look at him, at his curved neck and his face and his crossed hands hanging relaxed in the ropes, it choked him, hitting him like a crashing wave.  
Not even standing at the top of two worlds and feeling their fate run through his fingers had felt that way. Not even holding the trust and belief of thousands in his hands.  
He almost wanted to cry from it.  
Too breathless to talk, he got up on his knees again, and reached for the back of Ibuki's head. With febrile fingers, he undid the hairtie that was keeping Ibuki's bun together, and as he pulled it free, his long white hair cascaded like a waterfall, sliding down his head, his neck, catching and then flowing off his shoulders and finally coming still, draped on his body and hanging to the sides of his face, a few stray strands moving with his breathing. Chrono's eyes ran down with it, following the movement, and stayed where it fell, unable to look away, as if he was the one restrained just by the beauty of it, the sight of that lightly swaying hair caressing and decorating his body.  
“Kouji…”  
The name had come from him in a shaky breath, and he barely even registered it, instead bringing his hand up again, to pet his head from the top and all the way to his neck.  
And now that he'd actually touched him, the suspended restraint he was in broke, and he shuffled around and close, as close as he could, spreading his own legs so he could hold him in an embrace as complete as he could without hurting him. Ibuki gasped, but didn't look up, completely sunk into the feeling; his breath came regular but shaky, and as he held him Chrono felt shivers course up his arms and neck.  
With the hand that was behind Ibuki's back, he gently slid his fingers between Ibuki's own, gripping his hand. To his relief, Ibuki squeezed back lightly. He pressed his face to Ibuki's shoulder, taking in the feeling, letting it write itself deep inside him. This was something he would hang on to, he knew, the kind of feeling that would get him through anything, as long as he held it safe in his heart. He would endure anything to keep that feeling alive, he knew, would fight through anything as long as he could experience this heart-scraping feeling of love again, this burning affection that made him feel so small yet so powerful.  
For him, for this, he would do anything.  
“I love you,” he murmured against his skin. And then, to make sure he'd heard, to make sure he _knew_ , he straightened a little and rose to reach his face, gripping his hair to guide him to face him. “I love you,” he said again, staring into his eyes, and when Ibuki shuddered and closed his eyes in acknowledgement, he pulled him closed and kissed him, deep and possessive, as if by kissing him harder he could somehow send some of this feeling into him, let him experience it too, share the fire that was running through him and consuming the world around him.  
And Ibuki shuddered and let him, barely kissing back, his only response a slight movement of his tongue to meet Chrono's much more forceful own, and as Chrono angled his face a little to kiss him deeper, he felt tears run down Ibuki's cheeks.  
He kissed him again, letting them come, feeling them fall from his face unto their shoulders, and he almost could have cried too if Ibuki wasn't doing it for the both of them. Maybe some of those feelings could be shared after all.  
Running out of breath, he finally broke the kiss, and moved to his cheeks instead, kissing his tears away with a giddy, breathy laugh.  
“You're amazing,” he whispered, and with a wide, shaky, satisfied smile, he nuzzled his face, nose to nose, then relaxed his hand in his hair and carefully let Ibuki's head rest against his hair and shoulder, the only movement he could really afford.  
And for a long, long moment, he just kept him there, quietly, holding on to his hand and running his fingers through his hair and feeling his breath against him.  
Warm. At peace. In love.

He didn't take a precise count of the time. But soon enough, his worrying streak took over, a welcome safeguard against getting carried away: he carefully lifted Ibuki's head off his shoulder and tilted his face up to his level, cupping his cheek.  
“Kouji,” he said, quiet but firm. “I'm going to untie you.”  
At first, there was no reaction, his eyes still closed. But then, maybe sensing or remembering that Chrono needed an answer, he nodded.  
Relieved, Chrono wrapped an arm around his shoulders again and pulled on the rope behind his back; the knot came undone with a simple sharp tug, and he slowly let the rope slip through the loop holding it, releasing the tension on Ibuki's back. Ibuki sagged forward into his hold with a shaky sigh; he nuzzled at his arm, and kept him safely held as he untied his ankles.  
“There we go,” he murmured, putting the rope aside and massaging his ankles slightly before shifting him from one arm to the other. “There we go. Just hang in there. You're all right.”  
Ibuki nodded lightly. Chrono swiftly undid the knot that held the rope bar together and unwound it, before slipping it off his legs and untying each thigh from its folded position. He struggled a little to reach the opposite leg, but it was better than letting him go. With a little extra tugging with his nails, the knot finally came undone.  
Ideally, he would have liked to keep the arms for last. They would need to be moved carefully after the strain they'd be put under, but Chrono still had the harness to undo after that, and he couldn't reach it properly with the arms in the way.  
“Kouji,” he said, “I need you to listen for a second.”  
Ibuki gave a slight nod, then squeezed his eyes tighter shut for a second, opened them back, and gave a slightly firmer nod.  
“I'm going to untie your hands,” Chrono said. “When I do, bring them down to your sides, slowly, and _don't move_. I'll guide you, but I can't move them for you. Got it?”  
He nodded again.  
“Okay… he we go.”  
He undid the knot, and lowered Ibuki's wrists to a slightly lower position, then freed them from the rope and gently guided his first hand to start going down, keeping the other in position. Thankfully, he knew Ibuki was good at following instructions, even in this state: he slowly let his arm come down, and let it rest just a little forward on the ground. Chrono guided his other hand, waited for it to be safely down, and then undid the rope around his upper arms, putting it down just neatly enough that it wouldn't get tangled before he could get to it to fold it properly. And then, relief washing over him, he undid the final knots keeping the harness tight, and pulled the ropes out of their loops, over his shoulders, around his chest. And finally off.  
He hadn't realised how nervous he'd been until the tension drained out of him and he found himself a little unsteady himself. Thankfully, he still had Ibuki to support, and that gave him the strength to keep going.  
Very carefully, moving one rope aside, he shifted so he'd be sitting more comfortably, and guided Ibuki's body to his arms, half laying on his lap. His arms, he guided to the front of his body so they could rest on his thighs, and as soon as he was arranged in his arms, Ibuki sighed and curled up a little closer to him with a shudder.  
“It's okay,” Chrono murmured. “You're okay. I'm here.”  
His own words punched him in the stomach, something stabbing through his chest. His head swam, and he found himself curling closer too, holding him tight, clinging.  
_It's me!_  
He bit his lip. His plan had been to carry him to the bed, but he'd been feeling too light headed to risk it, and now… now…  
_I'll come back for you._  
He closed his eyes tight, and pressed his face to Ibuki's hair.  
_I'm not going anywhere this time_ , he thought fiercely. _No one's making me move this time. No one's going to take him away from me. I'm not going anywhere._  
Tears broke out of his eyes. But it was liberating, and as sobs slowly came to shake him, he felt something that had been twisting inside him for a very long time come undone.  
This time, he could hold on to him as long as he wanted. This time, he could keep him safe. And he planned to keep doing that. Not just in that moment, but in his everyday life.  
He wasn't as young and weak anymore. He owned who he was, and his feelings, and he'd made the choice to be there, and to protect him. Even if he didn't need to be protected. That was the choice he'd made long ago, and now he actually felt secure in his ability to do so.  
He hid his remaining tears into his hair. But there was no hiding the shaking in his chest.  
“… Chrono?” Ibuki's quiet voice came from under him.  
Chrono struggled to find his voice, to tell him he was all right. Instead, words spilled from his mouth in a sob.  
“I'm not going anywhere.”  
But Ibuki seemed to understand. Maybe he'd been thinking about it too. Without a word, he curled closer, resting his head against Chrono's chest in both comfort and silent trust, and Chrono gratefully held him close, letting the sobs run their course and holding on after that, just feeling him. Breathing. Alive. There.  
“… sorry about that,” he sighed once his breathing had calmed down, chuckling a little derisively.  
“It's fine, Chrono… are you okay?”  
“Mmm. Yeah. I'm okay now. How are you feeling?”  
He straightened a little so he could see his face. Ibuki opened his eyes and smiled.  
“Tired. Very happy.”  
A giggle burst through Chrono's chest.  
“That's. Good.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Huh?”  
“For all this.”  
“I'm the one… no, nevermind.” He paused, and tightened his hold again. “… thank you for being with me.”  
“I wouldn't leave for the world.” He smiled lightly, and closed his eyes, his head comfortably resting against Chrono's chest. “… I don't want to move from here, to be honest.”  
He genuinely looked happy and at peace, and Chrono's heart settled. It was worth it. It was all worth it just to see that expression on his face.  
And without the fear that it'd be the last thing he'd see on his face, this time.  
“Isn't the floor uncomfortable? … I wanted to carry you to bed, but I'm too shaky, I think… I don't want to drop you…”  
“I'm fine… although the temptation to fall asleep is strong.”  
“You'll catch cold like this…” He tried to find a solution. The bed wasn't within his reach, and he also wanted to get him something to drink at the very least. “… will you be okay if I put you down? Just for a minute?”  
“Will you?”  
The question took him by surprise, but he knew Ibuki was right, and a hint of guilt flickered in him. He hadn't wanted to worry him like that. But he also shouldn't be ignoring his own issues when weakness on his part could mean danger for Ibuki. His oversight with the aftercare planning was already biting him in the ass enough.  
“… I'll be fine. I can cling all I want after.”  
“Mm. I can probably sit.”  
“Don't push yourself. You need the rest. Now, don't move.”  
He lowered him to the ground, checking that his arms weren't trapped in a bad position, and quickly stood, deliberately not looking down and focusing on his goal instead. The chocolate and water were on the bedside table; his legs shook a little as he went to get them, but held. From the bed, he grabbed pillows and a blanket, and after a sudden burst of inspiration, he went to get another blanket from their closet.  
Back where Ibuki was waiting, he put the first blanket down on the ground, between their previous position and the bed, then sat on it and reached for Ibuki again, pulling him into his arms again.  
“That's better,” he sighed, arranging the pillows behind him and to the side. Ibuki smiled and snuggled back into his hold.  
It was honestly adorable, and Chrono felt himself relax at the sight.  
“Hang on…”  
He pulled the other blanket over them, then lifted Ibuki a little higher against his chest. Ibuki let out a little noise of protest.  
“You can sleep all you want after. Drink first.”  
“… yes,” Ibuki said, back to obedience at Chrono's tone, and he opened his eyes and sat up a little on his own.  
Chrono took the bottle and helped him drink, then fed him a square of chocolate. It seemed to wake him up a little, although he still looked very tired. As soon as he was finished, Chrono gave him a few more gulps of water, then decided he would probably be fine and put the bottle down so he could let him rest.  
And on second thought, he lay down with him, pillowing his head on his arm and holding him to his chest.  
“… thank you,” Ibuki murmured. “You were right.”  
Chrono chuckled.  
“That's my job.”  
Ibuki didn't answer, but the smile he gave spoke for him.

Chrono breathed in deeply. Now that he was resting, with Ibuki's weight warm and safe in his arms, he could actually feel safer himself, and he finally started relaxing, resting his head against Ibuki's hair. The floor was a little hard even through the blanket, but it was only for a few hours, and the rest made up for it. In a way, their little blanket bed felt special, in a way that simply getting into bed wouldn't.  
Maybe if they got a mat for this kind of thing, and kept extra blankets… it would help for longer sessions, too…  
“Chrono…?”  
It took him a second to register Ibuki's voice.  
“Hm?”  
“Next time, you can… pull my arms higher… if you want.”  
Chrono's neck burned. Ibuki could probably feel it too, damn him.  
“That's—uh—are you _sure_ about that?”  
Ibuki nodded.  
“… I'll think about it,” Chrono said, “when I've got more hands on experience. I don't wanna risk it for now.”  
Ibuki smiled against him.  
“Then… we'll have… to do this more often…”  
By then, Chrono's blush had reached his hair.  
“Glad to know you liked it, at least,” he mumbled.  
“It was wonderful.” He exhaled, then breathed in again, shifting slightly as if it could snuggle him any closer. “ _Chrono…_ ”  
Chrono pet his hair, feeling some of his composure return and a different kind leave him altogether. He was horribly weak to him when he was like that.  
“You did really well, I was almost shocked.”  
“Mmm. Feel free to… tug me into position again.”  
Chrono chuckled.  
“I'll remember that. Now rest. We can talk about this when we can string proper sentences together.”  
“Yes,” Ibuki just said, and within a minute, he was asleep.  
Chrono curled around him, letting the silence and his soft breathing soothe him. Later, there would be time for a good bath and a real dinner, and to massage his arms and legs to take care of any remaining soreness or cramps. Later, they could make their bed again, and actually talk about things, about how it had felt, about the tears that had escaped him when he had thought that wound closed a long time ago.  
But for now he had this silence, the hard ground and soft blanket under him, the afternoon light filtering between curtains. He had his beloved safely in his arms.  
For now, he didn't need anything else.  
Smiling, he let sleep take him.


End file.
